An intelligent agent includes a voice-activated assistant that can perform many useful tasks like look up the weather and show local show times for a movie or a concert. In response to a user's query the agent will access Internet search, localization technologies and the user's calendar, e-mail, and other applications on the mobile device and the Internet.
Voice-activated assistants do not have the ability to interact with someone on the user's behalf. The assistant is installed on the user's device to respond directly to user queries and commands. It performs tasks for the user only while interacting with the user. SMS and chat services are also available on the Internet that are similar in function to voice-activated assistants. These services also require the user's active interaction. An auto attendant, or virtual receptionist, answers and transfers calls on behalf of a business or organization. An attendant can offer a caller a DTMF menu system, for reaching specific extensions, and/or an Interactive Voice Response to identify the caller and reason for the call. An auto attendant, or IVR, generically represents an organization but does represent, or perform tasks on behalf of, a single user.
Therefore, what is needed is a personal representative that can perform actions on behalf of a user.